The Questing Beast

In Slumber Deep

Separate Paths

The heroes had escaped the clutches of Hell and were able to prevent the death of millions in the Serpent Coil. It turned out, however, that they had been away only for mere moments. They decided to regroup at a tavern in the Holy Paladin city. After a few drinks, they came to the conclusion that they would travel their own paths for a time, until the world needed them again.

Thus began the Between Years

The Tale of Brazeloin

Brazeloin returned to Ravenloft in order to help rebuild the town. During his time in Hell, he had a lot of time to reflect on how he had destroyed the Serpent’s Coil, and after learning that he and the adventurers could save it, he chose to spend his time and efforts rebuilding the town and atoning for his own mistakes. A year into the rebirth of Ravenloft, he was asked to meet with the Successors. They had come upon some disturbing research that they had thought the Heroes would be interested in. However, during the meeting, he felt a disturbing presence surging around his body. In a split second, he found himself with his left hand tightening around the neck of Henry Creval, his mentor. Without hesitation, Brockon had severed the arm. When Brazeloin came to, Brockon had encased the arm in a anti-magic sphere. Runes were glowing on the entire length of the arm, runes that Brazeloin remembered from his time in Vanity when he had been tortured into creating a Mithral Golem infused with Sacred Magicks.

After his wounds had healed, he took the arm and headed off to the last known location of Aiden. He figured that if anyone would be able to help him get to the bottom of this, it would be his brother in the arts of Alchestry. After months of travel, he arrived at the Tower of Aiden. The two of them sat down and did some research on the runes, and determined that somehow, the magicks that had carved the runes on his arm in Hell had another purpose. Someone on the Living Plane had repurposed them. Aiden took the arm into his vault of magik and returned to Brazeloin. Brazeloin then proposed to Aiden that they work on the creation of a magical prosthetic to replace the arm that Braz had lost.

The two of them spent the next 3 years in the research and development phase, and created the prosthetic. After they had done extensive tests on it, Brazeloin packed up and, in the middle of the night, left Aiden a scroll detailing that he would need his assistance at “The End of Days”.

Brazeloin spent the next 3 years on his own. He started development on an Airship. He took research that he found in New York and Hell, along with the schematics of the Phoenix and its fuel system, and combined it with arcane schools, alchestral schools, and divine schools of research. The project came to a completion right on schedule, and with his crew, Brazeloin took on the moniker of “Girart the Skylord” so as to avoid suspicion from the rest of the group, and set out to learn more about what the Successors had informed him of: that Ambitus was dying.

The next 3 years are a blank. At the end of 10 years, each hero received a mysterious scroll of summoning from Brazeloin, asking them to meet him in the Hall of Ravenloft to discuss something he had learned.

The Last Days

After 9.5 years of the heroes being on their own, a scroll appeared in front of each hero, asking them to meet Brazeloin at the Hall of Ravenloft. He had dire things to discuss with them as a group.

As they started to arrive at the Hall, Brazeloin appeared in front of them through a communications crystal. He told the group that he had learned something during his time apart from them… Ambitus was dying. Something had gone wrong through history and the world they had fought so hard to save was going to break and die. Though he didn’t know the cause or when this cataclysm would occur, he told them that the signs of decay had already started, and that land had started disappearing over to the west. Whole villages had broken away and fallen off the edge of the world. The Heroes took it upon themselves at that moment to trek to the World’s Well and try to use the legendary wishes it granted to save Ambitus, once and for all.

The group then separated again to continue their self-imposed exiles.

One day, as the 10 year period came to a close, Madeus had finally discovered the location of the Tomb of Fatum Carver. As he made his way down into the depth of the tomb, he was met by a welcome sight, Brazeloin. Brazeloin had come to the conclusion that the tomb was somehow connected to the sudden decay of Ambitus, and had come there seeking answers. The two of them worked their way down the stairs, descending further and further into the bowls of the earth. When they came to the bottom, they saw a single tomb in the middle of a large room. Candles light the walls, and they saw banners with the sigil of Chiron, and Fatum Carver. The two carefully approached the tomb, and with their combined strength, pried the lid off. Their worst fears had been finally realized. There was no body of Fatum Carver in the tomb. It had seemingly never been occupied. What was inside, however, was an ancient sword and cloak. Madeus recognized them as relics of Fatum Carver himself, his ancient sword that could call upon the thunder of heaven, and his cloak that allowed him to soar above his enemies. Madeus took them as his own, vowing to bring a body back for the tomb.

Upon leaving the crypt, they were met by a young man, named Nathaniel Fornlorne, who bore a message for the both of them from General Salvior. He had requested their presence at the Northern Front. The two of them then gathered their belongings and made their way north.

MEANWHILE, SOMEWHEREELSE…

Glimfarn and his trusty badger, Oi, were making their way up the Serpents Coil mountains outside Ravenloft. They had received a summons from Aiden to meet. As the duo worked their way up the mountain, all of Nature seemed in disarray. Wild animals had been making their way into the cities and terrorizing the natives. Birds were becoming increasingly quiet. Flowers refused to bloom. Glimfarn knew something was wrong in the world, but couldn’t put his finger on it. Without warning, 3 bears barreled out of the trees in front of them and immediately tried to kill the duo. Glimfarn, who had been honing his skills for the last decade, immediately notched 3 arrows and loosed them into the attacking bears. Oi jumped into action as well, and they took down the attackers in moments.

With great remorse for killing these creatures of the forest, the dynamic duo continued up the mountain. They finally arrived at Aiden’s front door, and knocked on the door. They were met by the friendly face of Aiden himself, with his raven, Tiki, perched on his shoulder. As he ushered him inside, a man was spotted approaching the tower. Aiden readied a fireball spell to incinerate the target, but the man held up his hand as a sign of peace. He handed the both Heroes a scroll, noting that it was from General Salvior, requesting their presence in the North.

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Salvior Scorned

Tale of Madeus

Here begins the tale of Madeus. He awoke in Purgatory, his faith and righteousness having spared him the fiery torment of the depths. Upon noticing his surroundings, he realized he was trapped in a cage on some sort of ship. A voice next to him asked him who he was, and how he got there. This turned out to be a wise old sage named Aristotle. He hears the nonsensical babbling of someone in a cage next to him, and realizes that it’s his friend Aeduinn from his youth. Madeus gets him to speak coherently long enough to learn that they are on a swirling sea vortex on a ship piloted by the guardian of the River Styx, Charon. Using the power of his faith and his immense strength, Madeus frees himself of his cage and retrieves his battle gear.

The path to the bridge of the ship was blocked, guarded by denizens of purgatory, to prevent him from making his escape. Madeus fought them bravely, defeating many fierce foes on the different levels of the ship until he reached the open air. He peered over the edge of the ship and saw the black waters of Styx swirling and violently roaring around the boat, as it continued it’s eternal journey.

A bellowing laugh rang out from behind him. Charon, the ferryman of the River Styx, was staring at Madeus, his weapons at the ready. Charon charged at Madeus, and the two began a battle of epic proportions. It was the toughest foe Madeus had ever faced, but he managed to continue to hold his own against the Immortal demi-god of Hell. As the two fought, demon reinforcements flooded the deck, while the captives down below broke free and fought the demons away. Finally, Madeus managed to knock Charon off his guard, and with a swift strike, severed the ferryman’s right arm clean off. As Charon doubled over in pain, he swore a vendetta against Madeus and the other Paladin who had taken his leg years before.

The ferryman disappeared into a puff of smoke, defeated. He reappeared at the ship’s helm and tried to regain control of the craft as it spiraled into the maw of the maelstrom. As Madeus returned to the edge of the boat, he knew what must be done. The rest of his friends were somewhere deeper in Hell, and they would be powerless to save themselves if he didn’t intervene. Steeling his nerves, he said a quick prayer to Chiron, pulled down his visor, and with a running start, leapt off the side of the boat as it approached the center of the vortex. He fell, and fell, and continued to fall, until he saw a faint light. Pulling his arms to his side, he gathered speed and broke through the barrier separating Purgatory and the second layer of Hell: Lust, where Glimfarn awaited.

Tale of Glimfarn

Tale of Octavar

Tale of Aiden

Tale of Salvior

Tale of Brazeloin

The Stone Stepper, now resting in the bowels of Pride and Vanity, had ignited a civil war among the Demons and Devils of Hell.

Brazeloin had, due to the nature of his upbringing, ended up in the deepest reaches of Pride and Vanity. He had been taken by Molrem The Mystic. His end goal was to use the divine powers of Brazeloin to breach the layers of Hell and make his escape. He forced Brazeloin to create a massive mithral golem for his use. Molrem had come into possession of a Moonstone that, after being filled with the holy power of Pelor, allowed him to control the golem and try to break out of hell. The Heroes breached the separating layer and crash landed in Pride and Vanity. They fought through hordes of demons and test golems before freeing Brazeloin from his torment. The group then ascended the Tower of Babble. They found that Salvior himself and his father (he had found in Hell) had been locked in a fierce battle of skill with the Mystic, his old master of the magick artes. They were forced to fight those under the sway of the Mystic, as Salvior managed to push his master to the brink of death.

The Mystic reveals to the group that his spell had succeeded in returning his body to it’s living state, allowing him to escape Hell and return to Ambitus. Salvior manages to wrestle the Black Staff of Boccobb from his master, before the old man revealed his true form of a Mind Flayer. The beast killed Salviors Father, which pushed Salvior to his breaking point. He took the staff and sealed the soul of the Mystic in it before pushing his body off of the tower. Madeus then managed to purify the fathers soul and sent him to paradise to be with his mother.

The group, finally reunited, descended form the tower, and continued to move through the chaos of Hell itself.

The Triumphant Return

The heroes set out to find the fallen Stone Stepper and use it to return to the land of the living. While they searched, they came upon the ruins of an old city.

Into the Maw of the Beast

Evil Revealed

The Return

The Turning of the Year

So our heroes activated the machine and it sent them to New York, New York at 8 pm on the turn of the year. The mysterious voice told our heroes to hail a giant yellow machine called a cab and they were also told by the voice to head to China Town and look for a man named “The Haitian”. So they first used a polymorph spell to change themselves so they didn’t stick out like sore thumbs. Glimfarn morphed into a black man in zootsuit and the others changed into looks of their choice. The group decided to split up and look for the Haitian.
Brazeloin looked in a local grocery store. Madeus, Octivar, and Salivor went into a pawn shop. Glimfarn and Aiden went to talk to a strange man in a nearby alley. Brazeloin tried talking to the woman who owned the store and was chased out after asking about “The Haitian”. Madeus, Octivar, and Salvior talked to the owner and traded some gold pieces for this strange paper currency. The owner was starting to get suspicious especially when Brazeloin walked in and started talking about all this weird stuff. Meanwhile, Glimfarn and Aiden met a man that offered them these strange drugs like Vicodin, Ritalin, and Ecstasy. Glimfarn, being adventurous as usual, bought some Ritalin and started asking questions about “the Haitian”. The drug dealer freaked out and ran away and Glimfarn followed right behind him. They ran up on the roof and both fell through the glass. Glimfarn used the man as a cushion so he wouldn’t be hurt. The rest of group heard the ruckus and came outside. The man was badly hurt, but after some torture he talked and they went off into the local nightclub.
Once inside the group made their way to the owner’s quarters and were attacked by thugs with these strange weapons that shot these metal balls. They were easily taken out before too much damage was done and they moved into a small hallway. They heard voices in the room down that hallway and Brazeloin decided to get the jump on them buy using a seed explosion spell. After the group heard a small explosion they burst through the doors and fought more thugs.One of the more important people were wearing a silk cheetah skin robe which Glimfarn took greedily.
As the group was looking for what to do next, Madeus looked around the bookshelf and noticed that many of the books pertained to Ambitus and other such things. Madeus pulled out a book and the bookshelf opened to reveal a secret passage. Octivar snuck into the next room which had three men within it. He snuck around the first two and killed the third very loudly. While the others had their backs turned, Madeus came down on one with his sword and slew him instantly. The second one was just as easy to take down.
The group finally came to “the Haitian”. They came to know that “the Haitian” was actually Gambit in another form who explained to them that everyone who lived in Ambitus was brought into this world and had been waiting for the heroes to appear, many of them taking this to their graves.
Gambit then gave Octivar his magical eye patch which let him see magical auras.
Just then a huge explosion engulfed half the room and our group was attacked by a group of gargoyles. The gargoyles were tough and one carried Salvior away. Glimfarn chased the gargoyle down through the building and tried to catch him with a jump, but missed and crushed a car 20 ft below. The gargoyle dropped Salvior on top of a subway car where he was greeted by Otiven, but he looked different and told him that he waited and waited and it was their fault.
After recuperating, Gambit told the group that the only person who knew where to go next was a person by the name of Manhattan and were directed to go to the abandoned subway. The group arrived and soon found out they were not alone there were many humans who had the Alchemist symbol embroidered on their clothes and of course they all had guns. While Glimfarn, Aiden, Salvior, and Madeus snuck into an abandoned train car, Octivar and Brazeloin snuck around to try to take out the men on a train. Octivar slew three people without being seen and hid underneath the train car. Glimfarn shot three arrows and killed one man, but the other noticed. One of the men in the other train car pulled the stake out and the train car was headed right for Glimfarn, Madeus, Aiden, and Salvior. As Madeus, Aiden, and Salvior ran out as fast as they could, Glimfarn climbed into a window and waited for the right moment to strike. As the train was about to collide with the other Glimfarn gracefully flew into the other car and ran through the entire thing as it collapsed within it-self and did a front flip out of the other side. While all this was going on two more men came in and had grenade launchers.
After that scuffle the group moved onward into the the underground. They came to a room filled with carbon monoxide. Brazeloin used a wind wall and mend spells to get rid of the awful gas. They fought a few more people with the Alchemist symbol and came to a a dark and dank cave that reaked of death and poison. The room was full of the Alchemist people and they took us to a huge door. The door opened and a black dragon stepped out. He told the group about how he was raised by his father Aggy and he grew up and took control of New York. This was the same dragon that the group had wrongly guessed was a pseudo-dragon. He said he would tell the group of the device if they could best him in battle and so the fight was on.
Manhattan started by putting out a cloud of poisonous gas which shrouded him in a dark cloud. Glimfarn shot multiple arrows into the beast, but they all glanced off it’s scaly hide. Aiden and Salvior stood their ground and fire spell after spell into Manhattan. He sent out another cloud and badly damaged both spell-casters. Luckily Brazeloin was there to heal them and keep them in the fight. Glimfarn and Octivar climbed onto the dragon’s back using a magic chain that they obtained in the mountains. Once on the back they were attacking when Aiden sent out multiple scorching rays and did massive amount of damage to Manhattan. After the attack Manhattan surrendered and told the group that they needed to go to the Cathedral to find the location of the device. So Gambit picked up the group and gave them a walkie-talkie and said that there were dangerous things underneath the Cathedral and said if you need help I can send some of my men.
The group entered the catacombs and searched for any kind of secret. They came to a wall with a riddle and after solving it went into a huge chamber with yet another Alchemist symbol and statues that slightly resembled the heroes from the group. Every statue had a a special item that pertained to their specific skills and techniques. Then the symbol opened up and and three ghosts came out and screeched with unholiness. Glimfarn and Octivar ran around screaming and running while the rest of the group fought them off. The group eventually defeated the ghosts and discovered the location of the device. It was on top of the Chrysler Building.
They were told by the voice that many innocent people were being brain washed, but if their lives were spared it could help them in the near future. Also, there was a hostage that was near death and if saved he could help with future endeavors. So the group pushes through the crowds of mindless minions and fights through several guards. Then Octivar notices that there are four bombs and decided it would be best to disarm them. The rest of the group climbed into the top floor and fought the butcher who was using the device to destroy the world. It was a long hard battle, but in the end the device fell and almost crushed Brazeloin and the butcher was on his deathbed. The group threw the device over the side of the building as a portal to Hell opened. The group jumped in taking the hostage(who turned out to be Algrim Marbleforge) and the butcher with them and they were each put into their respective floors. Madeus went to Purgatory, Glimfarn to Lust and Hedonism, Octavar to Gluttony, Aidan to Wrath and Violence, and Salvior and Brazeloin to Vanity, Pride and Deception.

The Players Come Into Their Roles

The Crash

Due to the chaotic nature of the world, the adventurers were having trouble keeping the Phoenix aloft. With nature itself seemingly wanting to destroy them every second, the Phoenix let out a final spurt of power. The flying machine went down. Snow and hail swirled around them and lightning flashed right next to their faces. The Phoenix crashed into the ground, throwing the adventurers in different directions from the burning corpse of the craft. Aiden received a vision in his unconscious state, informing him that there was little time remaining before a great calamity would befall Ambitus.

When they came to, the group commandeered a carriage that would take them directly to Ravenloft. They arrived at the town gates, only to find that the carriage was going to be searched by the Order of the Blood Knights. The group managed to knock them out with little trouble.

Once they reached the town square, they witnessed a man, known as the Voice, telling the nature of the TRUE Ambitus, and how the Order of the Blood Knights would cleanse the Serpent Coil of the non-believers. The adventurers tried to fight their way through the crowds and Blood Knights, but were forced back to the polluted waterway, and knocked in, unconscious. While they were floating, they were found and whisked away by an unknown group of paladins to a secret underground location.

The Chase, and an Unexpected Reunion

The group, led by *Viknas*, told the group about what had transpired in their time away from the city. The Order of the Blood Knights had come in and taken power in the city. They were led by the Voice, The Mouth, and the Hand. Viknas told them to seek out some gifted resistance members around the city in order to take down the Order. Viknas also informed them that they had found one more person recently, who had passed out due to some sort of toxin in the water supply. The group found that it was Salvior, who had vanished before the quest into Silver Reach.

One such gifted person was Rotface. They found him in the highest class brothel in Ravenloft, with many, MANY women surrounding him. They attempted to reason with him, Rotface decided he was finished with their words and jumped out the window and tried to run away. The group figured that they would chase him, but Brazeloin informed them that he had slipped a toxin into Rotface’s drink, meaning they would have to catch him before he slipped into a state of living death. The few of them that could leap from rooftop to rooftop managed to catch up with him, and wrestle him to the ground, forcing him to listen to their proposal. He agreed to join their mission and went back to the base with them.

The Metal Bird Takes Wing

Chapter 7: Fire in the Sky

The heroes decided to leave Adian and Brazeloin to work on the Phoenix while the others went back to explore the rest of the caves and see if there were other methods of getting out of the mountains. As they explored, they encountered a Snow Beast, the creature that had been stalking them for days. It proved too much for Madeus, Octavar, and Glimfarn to handle, and it managed to escape, leaving them troubled. Back at the Tower however, Aiden felt that Tiki, his familiar that had tagged along with the explorers, felt a strong fear, and he and Brazeloin instantly went on the offensive. The group met back up that night, and they learned that Aiden had also discovered signs of campfire from an area below them… signs of life, perhaps?

The next morning, the trio decided to explore the caves and see if they could find a way out. After much exploration, they came upon an open area, inhabited by Kobolds. They asked to be shown where the leader of their tribe sat, and they were introduced to Hadzik of the Hadzik Clan. They told him about their troubles, and the lack of help with the Phoenix. Hadzik offered them his servent, Agget, better known as Aggy. In return, Hadzik asked for something in trade. Madeus presented him with a set of polished silver spoons, and Hadzik, who had an affinity for shiny things, took them with pleasure. The adventurers had made yet another ally.

Aggy walked with a hunch and was crippled. He also carried with him a dragons egg, which the adventurers identified as a pseudo-dragon. Aggy cared for the egg more than anything! And soon, Madeus and the group would come to accept Aggy as a vital asset, but not Aiden.

When the explorer group made their way to the camp, they discovered that it was a group of scavenger dwarves… one of which Octavar managed to take hostage. A scuffle ensued, leaving most of the dwarves dead, with two making it away, alive… for now. The three made their way back to the tower, where the builders had the Phoenix close to completion.

Upon arrival, the trio saw that the Phoenix was restored to its almost-former glory. However, the adventurers heard a commotion from outside, and moved to the top of the tower to investigate. They saw that a large army of dwarves had amassed at the base of the tower, and were attempting to siege it. To make matters worse, a herd of the Snow Beasts arrived on the scene and scaled the tower, engaging the group in combat. Madeus and Aiden managed to keep the beasts at bay while Octavar and Glimfarn helped to destroy ropes and siege ladders that the dwarves were using. Brazeloin descended the tower and made the final adjustments on the Phoenix and raised it up for launch.

The sky above their head rumbled with unholy thunder. Snow and lightning fell from the skies while the sound of thunder was deafening to the ears. However, the group managed to get the Phoenix up in the air and made their way away from Silver Reach, and in the nic of time as well. The storm above the mountain, the group flying towards Ravenloft, and the ring of Albatros…. all the gears were falling into place.

A Saga of Fire and Ice

Chapter 6: The Flight of the Phoenix

Part 1: Ice and Ashes

Madeus, Brazeloin, Glimfarn, Aiden and Octovar emerge from the depths of the Dwarven Kingdom to find themselves in an open, arena looking area of the mountains. Salvior had somehow dissipated on the ascent, but the adventurers knew he would be safe, no matter where fate took him. The weather seemed to be holding itself off for the time being, but for how long…? They attempted to find shelter in a coal mine shaft, but they were ambushed and had to move on. They eventually found shelter inside the mountains other chambers, eventually finding their way to a large tower that seemed to sit at the center of the bowl. The group found themselves staring at it longingly for a moment every time they approached it, and made the decision to enter it and determine its secrets.

During the trek up the tower, Brazeloin seemed to develop a headache, but put it aside to continue the expedition. After facing traps and trials, they made it to the 4th floor of the spire, where upon using the mechanisms located there, they discovered a flying machine. This discovery caused Brazeloin to almost pass out, as his contact with the blue stone in the gear room of the Dwarven Dam had given him the charge of Albatros, and he was experiencing memories and feelings that the old Cleric had felt before.

That night, the group determined that they would need to try and repair the flying machine if they were to have a chance of escaping. This task fell upon Aiden and Brazeloin, as their Alchemical training had given them the necessary and basic skills needed to try and repair it, and Glimfarn and Madeus offered to return to the tunnels and search for more materials for the Alchemists to use for repairs, and Octovar was to stay behind and protect them.

However, that night……….

Fatum Carver spoke in their dreams again that night. The story told to the group was that of the Heroes visit to the tower they resided in. It was revealed to them that there were originally two flying machines, and that the one they had with them was the Phoenix. Its wrecked state was due to being attacked on take-off, where the Kolbolds had shot it down. The pilot, Saiker Calum, attempted to escape the failing craft and made it, however, his finger was shot and severed, and his ring (given to him by Albatros) fell back to the tower below as they made their escape.

The next morning, the adventurers made it to the roof of the tower. The view was majestic… they could see far off to different reaches of the Serpent Coil. On the ground, they discovered a bone that looked to be that of a finger, and on it sat a red ruby ring. They believed it to be the ring of Albatros and Saiker, and they decided to hold on to it for safe keeping.

What awaits our heroes as they make the repairs and attempt to make it off the mountain…?